Presently (circa 2016) enjoying immersed VR (virtual reality) environments is gaining in popularity; whether for gaming or other purposes, such as training. Immersion into a given VR environment often entails a wearer wearing some sort of VR headset and VR computer hardware to process VR software. When the VR computer hardware is physically separated from the wearer of the VR headset, then VR headset and any other wearer controls may need to wireless communicate with the physically separated VR computer hardware and such a need for wireless communication may create some less than desirable limitations, such as distance limitations between the wearer and the physically separated VR computer hardware and potentially bandwidth communication limitations. The art has responded to these problems by instead not separating the VR computer hardware from the wearer. That is, the art has responded with several variations of wearable backpacks that house various VR computer hardware.
For example, there may be a Zotac VR PC (personal computer) backpack; which may be a largely fabric based traditional backpack that may house various computer components. The backpack may have a flexible mesh fabric panel for ventilation purposes. However, because of the flexible nature of the largely fabric based traditional backpack such housed computer components may be largely unprotected from bumping contact with the external environment and so any such housed computer components may need additional protective coverings to protect the housed computer components from undesirable bumping contact with the external environment. Additionally, the fabric nature of such a backpack may be prone to undesirable wear, ripping, and/or tearing over time. The housed computer components appear to secured to the backpack via VELCRO straps. Such securing of the housed computer components within such a flexible backpack with VELCRO straps, may be insufficient to minimize jostling and shifting of the computer components while the wearer moves around the environment.
Alienware appears to be providing a wearable VR PC product; whereas, in the Alienware product there is not so much a backpack but a PC with attached shoulder straps. This Alienware wearable VR PC product has very little ventilation holes. There appears to be some ventilation screens on the two opposing longitudinal sides; however, overall exterior surfaces of the product are generally solid surfaces with no ventilation holes. Overall the product may not have sufficient ventilation. This minimal ventilation may present a problem of hardware overheating which may in turn then limit this wearable VR PC to computer components with less than desirable computing power. When minimal ventilation is used, this may require a greater dependence upon power consuming cooling fans; which may be less desirable as use of such cooling fans may deplete charged batteries faster. Size wise, this Alienware wearable VR PC may be similar to mounting a large laptop computer with shoulder straps and wearing on ones back. Because of this size limitation, there may not be room for a sufficient large battery back within the wearable VR PC and so this wearable VR PC may be powered with external battery packs worn on the hips of the wearer.
Omen also appears to be providing a wearable VR PC product, somewhat similar functionally to the above noted Alienware wearable VR PC. This Omen VR PC product may have less ventilation than the Alienware wearable VR PC product and thus have a similar problem of being limited in using less than desirable computing power computer components.
MSI also appears to be providing wearable VR PC products, somewhat similar functionally to the above noted Alienware wearable VR PC and the Omen wearable VR PC product. MSI appears to have provided at least two different models. One model with more ventilation holes than seen in the Alienware and Omen products, with some ventilation holes on the two opposing longitudinal sides and with some ventilation holes on a front panel (i.e., opposing the panel closest to the wearer's back). However, even in this model, there may be insufficient ventilation. MSI's second model is more akin to the Alienware wearable VR PC, i.e., appears to only have some ventilation on the two opposing longitudinal sides in certain areas towards the top. Those two opposing longitudinal sides also appear to each house a removable battery, towards the bottom. In any event, this MSI second model appears to have less than desirable ventilation.
There is a need in the art for a wearable computer case; wherein the wearable computer case has rigid to semi-rigid exterior panels to help protect internal computer components from external bumping contacts with the environment and possibly to provide fixed mounting locations for such internal computer components; and wherein these exterior panels have sufficient ventilation to minimize dependence on case cooling fans.
It is to these ends that the present invention has been developed.